The present invention relates to apparatus for forming animal closures, particularly pig pens for pigs. Pig feeding and raising enterprises oftentimes require a large number of separate pens for accommodating different groups of pigs of different sizes. Also, to accommodate sorting of pigs and separating of a number of the pigs in a given pen and moving them to another pen, it is desirable to have closure panel members for the pens formed as hingedly mounted gates, so that one can easily open and close the same. It oftentimes becomes desirable to have an arrangement wherein one can change the size of the pens and wherein one can hingedly swing the panel members about either of the opposite ends thereof.
It has been contemplated for pig pens of the above-discussed type, to provide panel members that are hingedly mounted at both ends thereof at adjacent support structures such as brackets on fixed walls or posts. It has also been contemplated to provide such closure members with gate latch attachments which accommodate disconnection of either end of the panel member so as to accommodate swinging movement about the other end. However, many prior art arrangements have required either separate tools or other parts separate from the panel members and the support structure itself, which tools and separate parts are cumbersome to use and are subject to being lost or damaged during usage. Especially in many of the modern hog operations wherein manure pits are provided under slatted floors for the hogs, the dropping of any gate latch pin or gate latching and unlatching tool can raise serious problems, especially with a full or partially full manure pit.
The present invention contemplates a novel gate latching apparatus for hingedly mountable panel members which avoids the above-discussed problems, and which is economical to manufacture, sturdy in construction, and reliable and easy to operate.
According to the invention, a gate latching apparatus is provided which does not require any separate tools and which also does not require any parts separate from those carried at all times by one of the support structure and the panel member itself.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the panel members are formed of tubular construction and include attachable panel member detent means formed as downwardly protruding hinge pins at the upper and lower sides of each of the opposite ends thereof. A fixed support structure, a fixed post, or a bracket fixed to a building wall structure or the like, is provided with attachable support structure detent means formed as loop brackets for hingedly accommodating the downwardly extending hinge pins. A locking member arrangement, attachable to one of the support structure and panel members, is provided or is movable between a locking position abutting against and locking the panel member against upward vertical movement and an unlocking position permitting free lifting and moving of the panel member. The locking member is provided as a rectangular loop-shaped member having one side serving as a handle and the other side thereof attached to the support structure by a bolt member having a spiral spring therearound. The spiral spring continuously biases the locking member toward the support structure so as to hold the same against the support structure in any set rotating position of the locking member. A channel member is provided at the support structure for rotatably locking the locking member in the locking position, a vertical position in preferred embodiments, with the underside of the locking member abuttingly engageable with the top of the panel member to hold the panel member against upward unlocking movement. To accommodate unlocking, one need merely pull the locking member horizontally in the direction of the axis of the bolt, a predetermined distance until the fixed channel member is cleared, then rotate the locking member to a horizontal position so as to free the panel member to be vertically moved. The panel member can then be lifted to disengage the hinge pins from the hinge loops. The spring surrounding the bolt assures that the locking member is also held in the unlocking position so that one need merely leave the locking member in the unlocking position until such time as one reinserts a gate or panel member in position, at which time the locking member can be simply manually rotatably moved to its locking position. Both the spring around the bolt and the channel member aid in holding the locking member in its locking position.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.